Spotlight on a Member: Greendale Reserve

If you happen to be walking in Otaihanga’s Greendale Reserve on at Tuesday morning, come rain or shine, you may hear the lively chatter of a group of hearty volunteers as they plant, weed, mulch and prune their way around 4 hectares of stunning native bush.

Time your visit for about 10.30am and you may even see them breaking for ‘smoko’ together – Thermos flasks at the ready and enjoying delicious muffins freshly baked by one of the team.

Greendale Reserve celebrated the 25th anniversary of its planting earlier this year. Originally pasture that had reverted to scrub, the land had been donated to the Council by the developers of lifestyle blocks in the area. An enterprising couple who owned an adjacent property that they had lovingly planted with natives, saw an opportunity to clear and replant the area to create a native corridor, so they set about persuading the Council to share their vision.

Together with support and guidance from the local branch of Forest and Bird and many fantastic volunteers giving their time and enthusiasm to planting and nurturing over 20,000 native trees and shrubs, that vision is now a stunning young forest offering a home to birdlife and other creatures that form a healthy local ecosystem. Enveloping a stand of majestic 200-year-old Kahikatea trees that remain from earlier times and with the Muapoko Stream meandering through the centre, the reserve now offers quiet walking paths and a stunning picnic area for all to enjoy.

If you are passionate about the environment and would like to learn more about Aotearoa’s wonderful flora and fauna or are perhaps looking for an opportunity to be out enjoying nature a bit more and have some time to spare on Tuesday mornings, a fantastic volunteering opportunity awaits you at Greendale. Take a look at this link to read more about the role and where to find the reserve: https://volunteerkapiti.org.nz/roles/1005/environmental-enthusiasts.